Supporting means for hangar doors



D. E. WILLARD SUPPORTING MEANSFOR HANGAR DOORS June 9, 1931.

s sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1929 June 9, 1931. D. E. WILLARD 1,809,093

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HANGAR DOORS Filed Jan. 12, 3.929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 9, 1931. D, E, ILLA D 9 1,809,093

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HANGAR DOORS Z2 d nfo 7" Jawaidli'ffiffard Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES DONALD E. WILLARD, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS SUPPORTING BIEANS FOR H'ANGAR DOORS Application filed January 12, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in hangardoors and particularly to improved supporting means for permitting the doors of airplane hangars to be supported on tracks at their bottoms during their movement to and from closed position. The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved supporting device for mounting the door of an airplane hangar or other similar building on a track located at the bottom of a door and the present invention is adapted for use with the system of hangar doors described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 332,053, filed January 12, 1929. A further object of the invention is to provide a hanger or supporting device for a door capable of turning about a vertical axis and adapted to be mounted within the door to travel on a track located directly beneath the door. A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted within a door and having a roller frame capable of angular movement about a vertcal axis to permit the movement of the door around a curved track. Still another object of the invention is to provide a supporting device comprising a roller and improved means for efiecting vertical adjustment of the roller with respect to the frame of the device. A further object of the inven- I'ion is to provide a door having a pocket in which is mounted the frame of a roller supporting device adapted to permit v pivotal movement of a roller about a vertical axis within the confines of the door. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated. In the drawings, v

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of an airplane hangar of the type described in my co pending application above referred to having applied to the doors thereof the improved supporting device of the present invention;

Serial No. 332,654.

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section through the front portion of the hangar illustrated in Fig. 1 illustrating the arrangement of the hangar doors ontheirgsupporting tracks;

Fig. 3 shows a partial enlarged vertical section on the line 33 of'Fig; 1, showing the support of the doors on the tracks and the means for guiding the upper parts thereof;

Fig.4 shows a partial enlarged front elevation of one lower corner of a hangar door with parts thereof broken away, illustrating the improved supporting device of the present invention applied to the door;

Fig. 5 shows a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4c, and y I Fig. 6 shows a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to an airplane hangar 10 havinga floor 11 of concrete or the like extending between the side walls 12 which are united at the rear end of the hangar by the rear wall 13. The hangar is provided at is forward end with a doorway 14 extending between the side walls 12 and adapted to be closed by the doors indicated generally at 15. A segmental wall 16 is located above the door opening 14 beneath the curved roof 17. The doors 15 comprise 'a plurality of individual doors 18 arranged in two separate groups, the doors of two groups being movable in opposite. di rections to positions adjacent the opposite side walls. Each group of doorscomprises three sets of doors 18 18" and 18, adapted to travel on tracks, and an additional door 18 which is hinged on the door post at the edge of the door opening to swing to open position, as shown by dotted linesin Fig. 2.

As illustrated in the present embodiment,

each set of doors 18 18 and 18 consists of two doors which are hinged upon each other along their vertical edges. One door of each set carries a pair of rollers 20 and the other door of the same set carries a single roller 20, all of these rollers being mounted on the doors adjacent their lower edges to travel on tracks 21 which are secured to and preferably partially embedded in the concrete floor 11. In the construction illustrated, the

hinged doors 18 tracks 21 comprise an inner track 21 of U- shaped form adapted to support the two sets of doors 18 and comprising a part extending transversely of the hangar across the door opening and two arms which extend inwardly parallel to the side wall 12. The tracks opening inasmuch as thedoors, 18 and 18 whenv in closed position, do not move entire 1y across the door opening. The supporting tracks are ofiset from each other to such an extent that the two-sets of doors 18 abutting against each-other are slightly overlapped by the adjacent sets of doors 18 while the doors 18 are in} turn slightly overlapped; by the doors 18, the outer edges of which are adapted to. meet the innermost edges of the When the doors are in open position on the parallel arms of the tracks 21, they lie in pairs one behindthe other, as shown by dotted lines at 2 3' in Fig. 2.

Each door 18 is; provided with apa-ir of brackets 24 secured to-the upper edge thereof and each. bracket has a roller 25 rotatably;

mounted upon it to revolve about a vertical axis These rollers project beyond the. ver- 1 tical; edges of the doors and are adapted to coact; with the vertical faces of guide members 26 which are: located above the tracks 21 and have thesame outline with arms extending inwardly parallel tothe side walls.- of the hangar; The guides 26 are in the form of-angle bars each having a flange extending downwardly and a horizontal flange attached to each one of a series of supporting.- brackets- 27 which; are alsoof angular form provided with upwardly extending arms whichare secured to the supporting members 28 means of studs 29. Each bracket 27 i sreinforced by a diagonah b-rare and these diagonal braces have wooden v cleats 31 mounted thereon toextend parallel to the gnidemembers 26. A sheet metal cover plate 32 is mounted over the gu des 26,

being secured to the support. 28 and to the,

cleats 31 by screws 33. The lower edgeof the cover plate 32: is deflected downwardly as shown at 32. and terminates slightly below the upper edges ofthe doors 13; V

The rollers 20 by which the doors 18 are supported are embodied in a support ng structure which is illustrated particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Each door 18 comprises a pair of vertically extending tubular metal framemembers 35 of rectangular cross-section connected by similar transverse frame members 36 which are welded or otherwise secured thereto, thus forming a rigid supporting structure for the door, .and this frame structure is covered by sheet metal plates 37 which are attached to the frame. members by riveting or other suitable means. Each door preferably has two of the vertical frame members 35 adjacent each corner thereof and spaced apart below one of the transverse members 36 to form an oblong rectangular chamber 38 in which one of the wheels 20 is located to project slightly below the doors and coact with the supporting rail 21. Within the upper part of the chamber 38 there is located a rectangular supporting frame 39 having flanges 39 which contact frame members 35 to which they are secured by bolts 40 and nuts 41. The sides of this supporting frame 39 are enclosed by. sheet metal plates 42 which are secured in place by screws 43 engaging the threaded. bosses 44 formed on the frame member. The supportin frame 39 is further provided with a transverse web 45 having a hub 46 formed integrally therewith. This hub is internally threaded and is split along one side with an car 46 projecting from the hub at one side of the division parallel to the body of the web 45. A bolt 48 passes through. this car 47 and through the web 45.. as shown. in Fig; i

6, and is engaged at its other end by a nut 49. By tightening this nut thesplit hub may be caused to clamp in adjusted position. a threaded bearing sleeve 50 which engages the threaded hub and is adjustable therein in a vertical direction. This bearing sleeve is provided at its upper end with a portion 50 of hexagonal cross-section. which may be en gaged by a wrench through the opening 51 in the web 45 for adjusting the bearing sleeve within the hub 46. A spindle 55 is jou-rnaledv in bushings 56 which are mounted. within the bearing sleeve 50, as shown in F 5, and the: lower tapered extremity 55 of this spindle is secured in the hub 57 which is formed on the upper end of a. roller frame 57 supported by the roller 20. The lower end of the bearing sleeve 50 is enlarged as shown .at 50 and a roller bearing 58 is mounted Within arecess of this enlarged portion around the lower end of the spindle 55. The intermediate porti on of'the-bore of the sleeve 50 is enlarged as shown at 50 to form an annular space around the intermediate part of the spindle. The upper end of the spindle is provided with a bore 59 which is threadedly engaged by a: fitting 60 adapted to permit the passage of lubricant therethrough under pressure to the interior of the spindle where it passes through a passa e 61 into the annular space 5O from which it finds its Way to the bearings of the spindle.

with the enclosing The lubricating fitting 60 is held in place by a lock nut 62 and a washer 63. The sheet metal plate 42 at one side of the door is provided with a small opening 6athrough which access may be had to the mouth of the lubricating device 60. V

The roller frame 57 comprises a pair of arms 57 which extend downwardly on opposite sides of the wheel or roller 20 which is provided with flanges 20 adapted to extend downwardly on opposite sides of the track rail 21. The opposite arms 57 of the roller frame are engaged by a stud 65 which has a. threaded extremity 65 engaging a threaded aperture in one of the arms 57", while at the other end the stud is provided with a head 65 of hexagonal outline, having its faces provided with recesses 65 adapted to be engaged by the head of the set screw 66 which threadedly engages the adjacent arm 57 of the frame. In this way the stud 65 is held against rotation and the shank of the stud serves as a stationary axle for the roller or wheel 20 which has a hub 20 adapted to receive the stud 65. A roller bearing 67 is interposed between the stud 65 and the hub of the wheel, this roller bearing comprising two inner rings 67 which have a non-rotative engagement with the stud 65, av pair of outer rings 67 which have av nonrotative engagement with the inner bore of the hub 20 and two se ies of rollers 67 which travel on the inclined annular faces of the rings 67 and 67 The two rings 67" are separated by a rib 20 which is formed on the inner bore of the hub of the wheel and the faces of the bearing rings which contact with the rollers 67 are inclined inwardly toward the center of the wheel so that they take up any lateral thrust which may be imparted to the roller or wheel 20 during its rotation. A lubricating device 68 threadedly engages the hub of the wheel 20 and a lubricant may be forced therethrough for lubricating the roller bearing 67. A pair of sheet metal cover plates 69 are secured to the sides of the roller frame 57 by means of screws TO and each plate 69 comprises an adjustable upper extension 69 having a sliding engagement with the lower body portion of the cover plate and secured in ad justed relation by means of screws 71 engaging slots 72 in the cover plate and its extension. These extensions 69 may be adjusted vertically to correspond with the vertical adjustment of the bearing sleeve 50 so that the upper inturned edges 69 of these cover plates will lie directly beneath the side plates 42 previously described. On one side of the door, one edge of the cover plate G9 overlaps one of the frame members 35 and at its other edge it terminates short of the parallel frame member 35, while on the other side of the door the opposed cover plate 69 is arranged in a reversed position with that one edge thereof overlapping that frame member which is notoverlapped by the'first mentioned cover plate 69 on the opposite side of the door. This arrangement permits one edge of each cover plate 69to swing withinthe chamber 38 when the roller 20 pivots about the vertical axis of the spindle 55 and that allows the roller 20 to turn to the extent necessary to permit the door supported thereby to pass around the curves of the supporting track 21. l

By means of the construction described above, the supporting rollers 20 are located within the confines of the doors 18 while at the same time permitting such movement of the rollers about vertical axes as may 'be necessary to accommodate the movement of the doors to and from their closed positions. The rollers may be adjusted vertically due to the adjustment of the bearing sleeves 50 to locate the connected doors at the desired elevation with respect to the supporting rack 21 and with respect to the guide members 26.

All of the parts of this form of supporting tending frame members, of a supporting roller mounted between said frame members, a roller frame carried by said roller, a spindle extending upwardly from said roller frame, a bearing sleeve journaled on said spindle, a supporting frame secured to said door between said frame members and having a hub engaged by said bearing sleeve, and means for securing said bearing sleeve in adjusted position within said hub."

2. The combination with an airplane hangar door, of means forming a chamber in the lower part of said door, a supporting roller mounted in said chamber and projecting below said door, a roller frame supported by said roller and having an upwardly extending spindle, an externally threaded hearing sleeve in which said spindle is journaled, and a supporting member secured within said door and having a hub threadedly engaged by said bearing sleeve, said hub being'split, and means for clamping said hub to hold said bearing sleeve in adjusted position.

3. The combination with an airplane hangar door having a recess in the lower part thereof, of a supporting roller mounted in said recess, a curved track member adapted to support said roller, a roller frame carried by said roller and having an upwardly extending spindle, a bearing for said spindle mounted within said door, and cover plates secured to opposite sides of said roller frame and adapted to swing within said recess to permit the turning of said roller around said curved track, the cover plate at one side of said door overlapping one vertical edge of said recess and the cover plate at the opposite side of said door overlapping the opposite vertical edge of said recess whereby said roller is permitted to turn only in one direction.

4. The combination with an airplane handoor having a recess in the lower part thereof, of a roller located in said recess, a roller frame carried by said roller and having an upwardly extending spindle, a vertical adjustable bearing member for said spindle, and cover plates secured to said roller frame over opposite sides of said recess, said cover plates comprising vertical extensions which are adjustable to accommodate the vertical adjustment of said bearing member.

5. The combination in a door, of a pair ofupwardly extending door frame members spaced apart, a horizontal frame member extending between and secured to said vertical frame members adjacent their lower ends to form a recess between said horizontal member and the bottom of the door, door sheathing secured to the outer side of said vertical frame members about said recess, a supporting frame secured to said vertical member within said recess, a hub carried by said supporting frame, a bearing sleeve adjustable vertically within said hub, a spindle journaled in said bearing sleeve, and a wheel bracket secured to the lower end of said spindle.

6. The combination in a door, of a pair of upwardly extending door frame members spaced apart, a horizontal frame member extending between and secured to said vertical frame members adjacent their lower ends to form a recess between said horizontal member and the bottom of the door, door sheathing secured to the outer side of said vertical frame members about said recess, a supporting frame secured to said vertical member within said recess, a hub carried by said suporting frame, a bearing sleeve adj ustable vertically within said hub, a spindle journaled in said bearing sleeve, ,wheel bracket secured to the lower end of said spindle, and cover plates detachably secured to the outer side of said wheel bracket to enclose said recess.

Intestimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

DONALD E. WVILLARD. 

